Timeless slow fashion.

What was the mission behind starting Koraru and what's the story behind the name?

Koraru was created as an antidote to the fast fashion brands and mindset that are taking over pop culture and consumers expectations. Our mission is to create a truly sustainable brand from its inception, that values customer experience as much as it values workers rights and environmental impact. I created Koraru as a seasonless brand, and I want it to be the mix between a functional and an effortlessly chic product that you can turn to, time and time again, to use and feel good in.  The name “Koraru” comes from the Japanese pronunciation of the word “coral”, a wonderful and endangered part of marine life. I live in Japan and I think we can all learn a lot about respecting the natural world and working with it instead of against it from the Japanese way of life. The name was chosen as a reminder of what we are passionate about, and that as a fashion brand, we can do so much more than sell clothes, we can actually make a positive impact. That’s also why we chose to partner with the Coral Alliance and donate part of our proceeds to them.

Which product are you most excited about currently and why?

I am very excited about our Zabel one piece, because of the signature zig-zag strap that we created for it, which signifies empowerment. I’m also very excited about it because it looks so good as a top. Whenever I wear it, I get asked about it. And it’s so soft to wear. It’s one of the reason I love our fabrics so much.

Materials is a key focus for the brand, why are materials important when creating sustainable products?

Materials are an important cog in the sustainability machine, because they are very labour and energy intensive to produce. For swimwear it’s particularly important because they are made from synthetic fibers, like nylon and elastane. If you want a swimsuit that will last and whose fabric performs well after exposure to chlorine, salt water and sun, nylon made swimwear is your best option. Therefore, the most sustainable option for swimwear right now is to  craft it from yarns that are regenerated. Essentially, regenerated nylon.  By using regenerated nylon, we avoid using virgin resources, and it performs exactly the same. Not to mention that we are avoiding tonnes of post and pre consumer waste from ending up in landfills or the ocean. Also, an aspect of sustainable fabrics that is less spoken about is the human labour associated with producing that fabric. We work with companies that have certifications and systems set in place to protect their workers. No fabric is truly sustainable if it’s made without worker protection or in sweat shop conditions.

What’s next for Koraru?

We’d like to grow awareness around the sustainability space in fashion and continue on our journey of educating consumers about why sustainable is actually a better choice, and by shopping sustainable you are actually helping support and encourage a whole supply chain of better and safer business practices for everyone involved. We’d like to show costumers that a balance can be achieved between creating a product that is beautiful and you will enjoy wearing and it’s also not harming the environment or being produced in what should be illegal working conditions.